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Here's How Much Plastic Trash Is Littering the Earth | National Geographic

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We find plastic bags in our forests as well as in our waterways. If you think you have thrown a plastic bag away properly, think again! There is no "away."

Many bags end up as inadvertent litter. Californians use an estimated 13 billion bags a year, about 400 every second. Unfortunately, many of them end up as litter.

Plastic bags are so light, they have a tendency to blow out of garbage trucks and landfills. From our roadsides, they break up and wash into waterways which make their way to the ocean.

I see at least one plastic bag every day as I go about my daily routine in Los Angeles. I see them caught in the bushes and trees beside our roadways, in the air above our streets, in our oceans and on our beaches. They even blow right up against my doorstep. Estimates suggest that these bags will remain intact for hundreds of years. In the meantime, they blight our cities, clog our landfill, and destroy land based wildlife habitat.

Here is a story of what these bags can do. This story comes from a customer of mine in Alaska:

My husband is a veterinarian. One of the saddest things he ever did was treat a friend's baby reindeer. She was about 3 months old. Just kept getting sick, getting worse, and would not eat. She finally died, and when my husband checked to see what she had died from, she had ingested a grocery bag that had flown into her corral. We have two reindeer ourselves and we are very careful about trash around here. The owners of the reindeer fawn have discussed with us what to do about the bag problem. Thank you for being the beginning of an answer! In fact, I'll give them a few of the bags. -Ann

If you are affiliated with to a community group, like a school, church, or library, consider an order of bags for your group to help others kick the bag habit. Request a quote and see how easy it is to be part of the change you want to see in the world.

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Plastic Bags in Our Forests | 1 Bag at a Time

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We find plastic bags in our forests as well as in our waterways. If you think you have thrown a plastic bag away properly, think again! There is no "away."

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Consumers benefit from the advantages in cost, convenience and energy efficiency that single-use items provide. But using items like plastic shopping bags, bottles, utensils and straws requires users to commit to disposing of them properly-whether that means recycling them or, at the very least, ensuring they make their way into a proper waste receptacle.

Many of these items were introduced for specific reasons. Disposable plastic utensils, for example, became popular with Americans in the 1960s. They were used at home and in restaurants to cut labor costs and the energy required to clean traditional silverware. They also cut down on the spread of diseases.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, plastic bags were introduced to address concerns about how many trees were being cut down in order to produce paper bags, which were more common at the time. Ever since then, the process of making these products has gotten more efficient.

Today, many other plastic items are designed to be used just once, delivering benefits beyond convenience and cost savings and ultimately supporting public health. For example, single-use plastic products that prevent the spread of infection are crucial in the medical industry. Instruments such as syringes, applicators, drug tests, bandages and wraps are often made to be disposable. Furthermore, single-use plastic products have been enlisted in the fight against food waste, keeping food and water fresher for longer and reducing the potential for contamination.

Because of its safety, flexibility and cost-effectiveness, plastic is the material of choice for these types of products.

We all benefit from single-use plastic products. But by choosing to use these products, people agree to dispose of them properly. There can be challenges when it comes to disposing of some single-use products. Many of them aren't designed to be reused, and because of their makeup, some can't be recycled using traditional methods. This means many people toss them in the trash-contributing to waste in landfills-or don't bother to dispose of them properly at all, littering them and ultimately sending them into the environment, where they can harm plants and wildlife.

While it's better for single-use plastic products to end up in a landfill than to become litter, the ultimate goal is that all these products can be collected and converted into energy or recycled.

The people of this industry are creating new ways to address challenges by making it more profitable to recycle a plastic product than it is to litter or landfill it. Examples include:

Trex: This decking company uses recycled grocery bags, bread bags, dry cleaning bags and more to make environmentally responsible outdoor products.

BD, one of the world's largest medical device companies, manufactures a number of products using a variety of recycled materials for its Recykleen™ brand.

Brand Pledges: Some of the world's largest companies have pledged to eliminate the amount of waste they send to a landfill or to use more recycled materials in their products and packaging, thereby creating a bigger market for recycled content and incentivizing recyclers to expand their operations to collect more material.

Coca-Cola pledged to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells throughout the world by 2030.

PepsiCo created a goal of designing all its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or biodegradable, while increasing its use of recycled materials and decreasing its packaging's carbon impact.

SC Johnson has set a goal to send zero manufacturing waste to landfill from its factories by 2021, a process that will include increased reusing and recycling.

John Deere announced a pledge to recycle 75% of its total waste by 2018.

The Ford Motor Company set a five-year goal of reducing waste to landfill by 40% per vehicle and continues to expand the use of recycled content in its vehicles, particularly in the development of new upholstery fabrics.

Toyota's Environmental Challenge 2050 committed the company toward creating a recycling-based society through the use of eco-friendly materials, the use of auto parts for longer, the development of recycling technologies and the manufacture of new vehicles from end-of-life ones.

Nissan set a target of increasing the usage rate for recycled materials per new vehicles by 25% in Japan, the U.S. and Europe.

At its stores, ANN INC. provides shopping bags made with between 40% and 80% post-consumer waste.

Clorox set a goal to have 10 zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturing sites by 2020.

McDonald's pledged that its product packaging would come from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025.

Ecover, a company that makes environmentally friendly cleaning products, said all its bottles would be made with 100% recycled plastic by 2020.

Packaging company Amcor pledged to make all its product packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

The Danone water bottles used by the Evian brand will be made with 100% recycled plastic by 2025.

Unilever has committed to making 100% of its plastic packaging recyclable by 2025.

Walmart announced that by 2025, 100% of its packaging for its private-brand products would be recyclable.

By 2025, L'Oréal's plastic packaging will all be rechargeable, refillable, recyclable or compostable.

Through its Demand Champions program, the Association of Plastic Recyclers has secured commitments from a number of companies throughout the plastics supply chain to purchase more post-consumer recycled material. The list includes brand owners-such as Campbell's, Coca-Cola, Keurig, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and Target-as well as plastics companies-such as Berry Global, Champion Polymer Recycling, Clean Tech Incorporated, Denton Plastics, Envision Plastics, KW Plastics, Merlin Plastics and Plastipak.

It's paramount to dispose of single-use plastics properly. Every person who selects single-use products has the obligation to make sure these items are recycled or disposed of in a trash can and kept out of the environment. The industry is working to expand our nation's waste management infrastructure in order to increase access to recycling and to energy recovery technologies. When recycled or converted into energy, these items can continue to make a positive impact on our lives, extending their life and their value beyond a single use.

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The Purpose of Single-Use Plastics - This Is Plastics

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Consumers benefit from the advantages in cost, convenience and energy efficiency that single-use items provide. But using items like plastic shopping bags, bottles, utensils and straws requires users to commit to disposing of them properly-whether that means recycling them or, at the very least, ensuring they make their way into a proper waste receptacle.

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As the world rapidly approaches 8 billion people, trying to squeeze 1.3 billion tonnes of annual waste ( projected to soar to 4 billion tonnes by 2100) into overflowing landfills is no easy task. In fact a lot of our waste ends up in our environment where it can impact on wildlife and take thousands and thousands of years to break down. But we can all take steps to minimise the amount of waste we create, by swapping single-use items for ones that are more durable. Here's how.

Unfortunately, the flow of waste into our environment is made up of millions of single-use items that could largely be avoided with a little forethought. As fashion and earth conscious readers here at Good on You, I know you are excited to reduce your impact on the environment. Below are some easy ways to swap those common single-use items for more sustainable and reusable options! Read on. I got your back!

When You Are Out and About

Most of the single-use traps are set when we are caught up in our daily routines at work, or out and about on the weekends. A bottle of water here, a take-away coffee there, then wash it all down with an overly priced cocktail not so elegantly presented with a plastic straw. Well here are some alternatives to these easy to grab single-use items:

Plastic straws

First of all, do your best to say no to plastic straws in the first place. Unless you have a medical condition or disability that makes plastic straws necessary, just say no. They are a massive nuisance on our beaches and are a common death trap for marine life (especially turtles). If you are a real straw fanatic, bring your own stainless steel or glass straw and whip it out whenever you sit down for a refreshing drink on the go. Check out this amazing cafe who swapped plastic straws for Pasta Straws! Awesome!

Take-away coffee cups

The billions of (mostly unrecyclable) coffee cups that we dispose of each year have been well documented. Considering the massive environmental impact they have and how easy a swap it is, there is no excuse to not bring your own reusable. For a sustainable and aesthetic looking reusable coffee cup check out Keep Cups, SoL cups, Joco cups, or Frank Green. If you are really looking for something unique, check out Pottery for the Planet for a handmade ceramic coffee cup that is sure to turn some heads! And for all you coffee fanatics who are interested in sustainability, be sure to check out GOY's article on your morning latte.

Plastic water bottles

There is literally zero upside to buying your water in plastic. The expense, the waste, the resources required to make the bottle, the chemicals etc. Just buy a reusable water bottle and be done with it. It will quickly become your little sidekick and most treasured daily carry item. There are thousands of different water bottles out there, but if you like something with a little more design and consciousness, check out Alex, Cheeki, and 24Bottles.

Plastic bags

The threat of plastic bags on our environment and marine life in particular has been a major topic of discussion over the last few years. France and Italy have banned lightweight plastic bags, along with California, some states in Australia, and soon, New Zealand. In England, a 5p charge on plastic bags has seen usage drop 85% and there are varying levels of charges or bans in place across the USA and Europe.To avoid getting stuck at the grocer without a bag, or to avoid those thick plastic bags at your favourite department store, bring a tote bag (check ecobags) with you everywhere! You never know when you might need one, and you will feel like a better human being saying no to those dreadful plastic bags!

What About in your Home?

Your home, and in particular your kitchen, can be a hub of single-use items. Think food packaging, glad wrap/cling film/shrink wrap, toilet paper, disposable dinnerware (I do hope not!), and nappies (for those of you with young children). Luckily, there are a suite of options for those of you who want to go the extra mile and swap some of these for reusable options.

Food packaging

Nearly everything you purchase from a typical supermarket is concealed in a pretty package that is destined for the bin after a single use. Even some of the fresh fruit and veggies from my local supermarkets are pre-cut and placed on a plastic tray with some plastic wrap. Convenience...maybe. A totally unnecessary use of landfill destined waste....absolutely! Be a legend and avoid those like the plague! For your other groceries, bulk food stores allow you to fill up your own containers with dry goods, oils, and cleaning products package free! Awesome.

Plastic wrap

For those food wrap aficionados amongst us, I have a couple easy peasy swaps that will have you give up the cling wrap life forever. Enter the wax wrap. Wax wraps are grippy waxy squares of different sizes that can wrap around your left overs and keep them fresh in the fridge until your next meal. If you don't want to fork out the cash for a set of these, you can get really creative and make your own. Alternatively, just buy a set of glass tupperware or collect come large glass jars and be done with it!

Toilet paper and nappies

All I want to say here is that it is worth your while to check out Who Gives A Crap. They specialise in recycled fibre and bamboo toilet paper and deliver it to your door in a plastic free and recyclable cardboard box. Essentially, you no longer need to cut down precious trees to wipe your b****m (and they donate 50% of profits to WaterAid). Lastly, for those of you who are expecting a little one, or who have a child of nappy wearing age, you can have a hugely positive impact on the environment by using reusable nappies. The amount of disposable nappies that end up in landfill is eye opening (about 20 billion a year in the USA, three billion in the UK, two billion in Australia). Reusable nappies have come a long way since your parents, or your parents parents used them, so do a google search and find a company that resonates with you. As parents of a 4 month old, we decided to purchase GroVia nappies and we haven't looked back!

A Final Word

If you are excited by these suggestions and are looking for more ways to reduce your plastic footprint, or you want a one stop shop for single-use replacements, check out these three great websites; Ethical Superstore, GreenShop, Biome, Flora and Fauna, and Seed & Sprout.

Have you started switching to reusable items? What single-use items do you find the hardest to stop using? Let us know in the comments if you have any tips that were not covered in this article!

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Awesome Alternatives To Single-Use Items - Good On You

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As the world rapidly approaches 8 billion people, trying to squeeze 1.3 billion tonnes of annual waste ( projected to soar to 4 billion tonnes by 2100) into overflowing landfills is no easy task. In fact a lot of our waste ends up in our environment where it can impact on wildlife and take thousands and thousands of years to break down.

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Plastic is a truly extraordinary substance with many useful applications but it does not make sense to produce it for just a single use when it is so long-lived, persistent, and toxic in the wrong environment.

Disposable plastic shopping bags take around 20 years to break down in the ocean - leaving chemicals and toxic particles (microplastics) behind. A bottle that holds one drink and is disposed of immediately after consumption will take an incredible 450 years or more to break down into microplastic. The majority of all marine litter is plastic and comes from use on the land, traveling via wind and river until it reaches the sea. The energy and economic cost of recycling it is immense and less than 10% is recovered, with 50% going into landfill, some being made into durable goods and much of the rest ending up in the ocean ¹.

Millions of tonnes of plastic floats in the ocean in giant islands of plastic trash. Unknown quantities have broken down into tiny toxic microplastic particles that act in the same way as micro beads, attracting and binding other pollutants and making themselves more toxic in the process. While it floats and degrades, the plastic leaches marine-toxic chemicals into the water.

The effects of plastic bags and bottle caps on seabirds, turtles, seals, whales and other species is graphically illustrated by their deaths from starvation after mistakenly consuming the plastic or from getting tangled up in it.

MarineSafe is involved in #OneLess, a campaign to reduce single-use plastic water bottles in London. ( ZSL.org/oneless )

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Plastic is a truly extraordinary substance with many useful applications but it does not make sense to produce it for just a single use when it is so long-lived, persistent, and toxic in the wrong environment. Disposable plastic shopping bags take around 20 years to break down in the ocean - leaving chemicals and toxic ...